Zero-carbon housing development welcomes its first families in North Ireland

PDP London just completed the first phase of Killynure Green, a zero-carbon residential development created for Choice Housing, North Ireland’s biggest provider of social housing. Located in Carryduff in southeast Belfast, the competition-winning masterplan emphasizes community and environmentally friendly design principles. The first phase comprises 39 south-facing units that feature energy-smart elements including prefab timber construction, solar panels, and rainwater harvesting.

Funded by the Department of Social Development, Killynure Green will comprise 65 high quality, zero-carbon homes when complete. The 39 first phase units, which recently welcomed their first families, are arranged in a series of clusters surrounded by greenery, ranging from private to communal spaces, including public wildflower meadows and a central playground. To take advantage of passive solar heating, the homes are outfitted with large south-facing facades that open up to enclosed winter gardens.

Though modest in appearance, Killynure Green was designed as a “contemporary interpretation of the Irish vernacular,” write the architects. The homes are constructed with a highly insulated prefab timber system topped with slanted roofs set at 29 degrees south to optimize conditions for rooftop solar collection. Each home also includes highly efficient Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems, an integral water “butt” for rainwater collection, dedicated bicycle storage, and low-flow appliances.